The Tweedgreen Challenge
Our Tweeddale Councillors have committed to live more sustainably by signing up for the six week Tweedgreen Challenge and are urging Tweeddale residents to do the same.
Local Tweeddale Councillors have enthusiastically embraced the Tweedgreen Challenge and are already making some changes to their lifestyles. Councillor Graham Garvie said “I will endeavour to go to Edinburgh by bus and will car share with Councillor Bill Herd when he comes to meetings in Peebles”. Councillor Willie Archibald, who already grows his own salad, has agreed to attend all of his Peebles meetings on foot.
The Tweedgreen Challenge is a local initiative that shows how, with a few simple changes, we can eat more healthily, shop locally, reduce household fuel bills and save on travel and carbon costs. The programme is designed to be fun, informative and interactive. It aims to encourage people to use our resources wisely, to support our local economy to make it more resilient to future changes and to enhance our sense of community. There are three challenges to take on: Travel, Food and Energy.
The Food Challenge cookery lessons have been a great success. Val Brunton, owner and chef at the Sunflower restaurant in Peebles, shows how to make a simple sauce into a family favourite, how to plan your meals and how to reduce waste by making delicious meals out of leftovers.
Trish Timmins, one of the Food Challenge participants said “the sessions with Val exceeded my expectations. I have enjoyed them so much. The Challenge has brought me back to cooking and has got me really thinking about the food I eat. I am learning how to make very simple things extremely tasty!”
Councillor Bhatia, who will be doing the Food Challenge and is looking forward to her free cookery lessons with Val said: “It’s important that individuals take responsibility for how they use the earth’s finite resources, and the Tweedgreen Challenge is an excellent way to support people to do that.”
The Travel Challenge offers free bike and car maintenance classes, free eco-driving classes and some great ideas for reducing your travel costs. One Travel Challenge participant said “the session on basic cycle safety and maintenance has inspired me to get my bike out. I’m looking forward to feeling a bit fitter in the next few weeks.” Councillor Neil Calvert, who is doing the Travel Challenge said “I delivered my church leaflets around West Linton by bike on Saturday, a 10 mile trip that I would usually do by car.”
The campaign is supported by the Climate Challenge Fund and Zero Waste Scotland. Joining the Challenge is free. Tweedgreen is offering a variety of incentives and prizes including: free cooking lessons; discounts at local shops, restaurants and local attractions; vouchers for local bike shops; free fuel efficient driving lessons with the Institute of Advanced Motoring.
New Challenge groups start every few weeks.
Why not make it your new year’s resolution to join the Tweedgreen Challenge in 2012?
If you are interested in taking on the Challenge, call us on Office: 01721 729258. Alternatively, please fill in your details below and we’ll be in touch…
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You can view/download the Tweedgreen Challenge here